Tapovan Vishnugad – another landslide at the hydroelectric scheme that was devastated by the Cahmoli debris flow in northern India

Hydroelectric power, dams and the growing list of landslide accidents in the Himalayas (and in other high mountain areas)

The Guazi landslide: an interesting ancient landslide reactivated by a hydroelectric power scheme in China, as described in the journal Landslides

Over the last few days, a landslide crisis has developed at the Hidroituango Dam, a hydroelectric project on the Cauca River in Colombia

On 16th December 2016, a major landslide destroyed the penstock and associated infrastructure at the Xekaman 3 hydroelectric power plant site in Laos

This weekend there have been two deadly landslides that repeat familiar themes: one was associated with mining in Burma (Myanmar) and the other with the construction of facilities to generate hydroelectric power in China

Today the Mangdechu Hydroelectric power in Bhutan was hit by a major landslide, killing 5 workers. This is the latest in a string of fatal landslides at HEP sites in Asia.

On Friday a landslide at the Upper Madi HEP project site in Nepal trapped workers in a tunnel. Most were rescued but three lost their lives. Undortunately this is just the latest in a series of landslides associated with hydroelectric schemes in the Himalayas.

In the past week China has suffered two rather extraordinary landslide accidents at hydroelectric plants. The first occurred an 20th July 2009 near to the Xiaowan hydroelectric power station in Yunnan province. The dam, shown in the artist’s impression below, will apparently be the world’s tallest arched dam, standing 292 m high when finished. It is still under construction, with the first turbine expected to be operational later this year: …

Issues with the landslides in the town of Joshimath in India continue. There is much speculation as to the causes, which are likely to be complex.